VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM INC

Each year, Victim Assistance Program responds to hundreds of on-scene crises, answers thousands of 24-hour hotline calls, and helps over 4,500 (2023) survivors navigate the aftermath of their victimization. We serve those impacted by diverse crimes, violence, and trauma, providing all of our services FREE of charge and without discrimination.

The overall goal of our services is to lessen the impact of crime and trauma upon the victim and address the emotional aftermath of their victimization. As a result of our services, we anticipate that victims will have an increased understanding of their rights as a victim of crime as well as the options and choices available to them and that our program will assist with addressing their immediate needs.

Our services are available 24/7/365 in person, through our crisis hotline and online chat, and on-scene. Victim advocates respond to the scene upon request from law enforcement and are strategically placed throughout Summit County to assist walk in clients. All of our victim services adhere to best-practice models outlined by our accreditation with the Council on Accreditation (COA).

Advocates utilize the National Organization for Victim Assistance’s (NOVA) trauma-informed model of crisis intervention. The NOVA model encourages advocates to address the victim’s safety and security, allows the victim to vent and tell their story, validates their emotions, and predicts potential issues to prepare the victim for what they can expect for the future. By using the best practice NOVA model, VAP can provide comprehensive, trauma informed services to victims of any crime or trauma. To meet the ongoing training needs for those providing services, VAP created the Summit Victim Assistance Academy in 2014 to provide consistent best practice techniques to ensure victims receiving assistance are receiving the best service possible.

Victim Assistance advocates are strategically placed throughout Summit County, Ohio. They are stationed in the Akron Police Department, Akron Municipal Court, Barberton Municipal Court, Stow Municipal Court, Summit County Domestic Relations Court, and at our main office at 137 S. Main Street in Akron. In order for Victim Assistance Program to respond twenty-four hours a day. Advocates are often called directly to the crime scene; however, advocates also meet victims at local hospitals, the Medical Examiner's Office, and schools throughout Summit County. Providing immediate services at the crime scene allows victims to begin regaining the control that was lost as a result of their victimization. Each advocate's use of the National Organization for Victim Assistance's (NOVA) best practice model of crisis intervention aids in prioritizing victims' concerns while providing viable solutions that make sense for each individual victim's need and circumstance.

The NOVA model encourages advocates to address the victim's safety and security, allows the victim to vent and tell their story, validates their emotions, and predicts potential issues in an effort to prepare the victim for what they can expect for the future. Successful implementation of this model allows the advocate to normalize the victims' emotions, empower the victim to make decisions on their own, and assess their basic needs such as clothing, food and shelter. Without our services, victims are often left with minimal support and resources that would otherwise assist in regaining a sense of normalcy and stability in the days, weeks, and months following the incident.

Our organization remains committed to serving ALL survivors of ALL types of crime, violence, and trauma. In 2020, amidst pressing racial justice issues facing our nation and our community, VAP embarked on a year-long process of improving the agency's approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We contracted with an outside organization to complete a full, in-depth analysis of our agency's policies, relationships, and culture. The resulting suggestions of this contractor were woven in to the fabric of our 3-year strategic plan and remain the primary goal of the agency over the immediate future.

As a result, our staff are receiving fresh training in areas such as civil courage, cultural competence, unique considerations for underserved victim populations, and more. Additionally, our staff leadership is receiving trainings on trauma-informed supervision, and our Board of Directors is receiving training on equity in service and cultural competence. We are excited to continue carrying out this plan and improving our agency's understanding of and ability to serve minority and underserved populations who are experiencing violence and crime at disproportionately higher rates.